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How Do You Feel About Chicago-Style Pizza in NYC?

Posted by Jamie Feldmar, Jan 21, 2014

[Photograph: Kelly Bone]

It took the internet a little while to catch on (whoops), but news is finally spreading that a Chicago-style pizzeria called Emmett's recently opened in New York. Emmett's serves what looks like pretty traditional deep-dish pies, and there are rumors of Italian beef sandwiches and Vienna hotdogs joining the menu soon, too.

We're planning to taste Emmett's pies next week (stay tuned!), but until then, I'm not sure how to feel. I'm a native Chicagoan, and despite having lived in New York for almost a decade, I miss both stuffed and deep-dish pies something fierce (I've had to make do with Grandma-style in the meantime). For years, I've lamented the fact that even in a sprawling, diverse city like New York, where I can find vegan Trini-Pak food at 3 a.m., there's nowhere to get a Chicago-style pizza. Hell, I spent six months in Shanghai and found late-night-delivery-only deep-dish from a place called Yellow Submarine there, and I can't still get it in NYC.

And yet. As much as I pine for the sweet stuffed pies of my youth, there's a part of me that relishes the fact that Chicago pizza is so firmly rooted in Chicago (Yellow Submarine aside). It's prideful and provincial and a little bit silly that this particular style of pizza elicits Kraken-level emotions, but that's also what makes it great. And I'm not sure I want to lose that in exchange for accessibility.

I'll reserve further judgement until we've tried the pies, but in the meantime, what do you think about all this? Let us know in the comments!